Dear Teddie... I hope you know.

Dear Teddie, I hope you know…

You are coming up to your 3 month Birthday, wow. A whole 90 odd days on this thing we call Earth already...

Wow what a whirlwind 12 weeks they have been!

I know people tell you but I don’t think you can ever really know how much becoming a parent will change your life. And not in the ways you are told either, I don’t think.

For one, the amount of times people have said to me “ooh, you can’t just pop to the shop anymore”. Well to be honest I never really just popped to the shop anyway! If I haven’t got ‘it’ in the house then I do without ‘it’, or there’s always shopping online. You see I like a simple life… and to me, just popping to the supermarket was never something I did even as a singleton, if I could help it. I would only ever venture there if it was for something dreadfully important like…wine. Home delivery was made for me! Oh and it also helps that my husband actually enjoys doing the food shopping!

So ok, I can’t pop to the shop, hallelujah, I didn’t want to anyway! ;-)

My Mum always said that you should use your money to make your life easier and that is what I always try to do! So the same has gone for things to make life easier since my baby arrived in the world. We have bought a machine to prep the water so it’s the right temperature for the milk. That was a godsend at the 3am feeds. Definitely recommend it if you aren’t breastfeeding.

No one can really explain to you how guilty you can feel that you couldn’t breastfeed your baby, even if it was out of your hands, and you convince yourself (you know it’s true but it does need some convincing and support from friends) that the formula has all the vitamins they need because your body couldn’t supply them. But when they get their baby snuffles, you do sit and think, is it me, is it because I didn’t give them my milk to keep them well. I hope you know I want to do everything I can to keep you well.

Another thing we invested in was a changing station complete with bath (and guess what, I ordered it online!!). On it we store everything we need for bathing and changing, including bath robes and even any medicine. It is just the right height for us to change baby and is so compact and can be wheeled around so is great for space saving. Bath time is one of my favourites I think! Teddie loves the bath and it’s fascinating watching his little face as he figures out what’s going on and then relaxes into the warm water when he feels safe. He has started to grip really tight onto us now as we lower him into the bubbly bath, his survival instincts really kicking in. I hope you know we would never hurt you intentionally, but human nature means that we are bound to hurt you as you will hurt us, but we know that our love will see us through.

No-one can prepare you for how wonderful it is to see how much everyone else loves your baby! From Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and friends, near and far, the baby really does bring everyone together. We just had our first Christmas and I am lucky enough to say that Teddie had all his Grandparents at our House to share the special day, he has 3 lots, what a lucky boy! We hope you know how special you are to us all.

No one told you how any times you would touch the back of your baby's neck! Since Teddie was born and we spent the first two weeks of his life in the hospital, I have always checked he is warm enough by feeling the back of his neck. We do have a thermometer too (another online delivery, added to the order for baby nail clippers and a special spoon for medicine to prevent spillage when administering!)…no-one told me to check his temperature by feeling the back of his neck, it was just something I did instinctively. I hope you know that all we want to do is keep you safe.

Your instincts are there for a reason, trust them! The amount of times in the past I have always said a woman’s instincts are rarely wrong. So the same goes for Motherhood. You just sort of know what your baby wants instinctively, I think. Of course there must be some trial and error but 9 times out of 10 I bet you knew first time what it was they needed when they made a noise/ cried or wriggled, gaining your attention. Try not to doubt yourself, there are plenty of people who will do that for you!

Teddie, you have been super spoilt with love since you arrived here in this world. Long may it continue, and to quote a famous John Denver lyric - “if I should live forever and all my dreams come true, my memories of love will be of you… “

When you smile, I hope you know that nothing else matters and I’m just glad I love you so…

A dear friend of my Dad’s said to me that your baby chooses you. I hope you did choose me and I hope you will always know how glad I am that you have changed my life, I hope I am everything you wanted!